STEM@Svsufall2018
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NEWSLETTER • FALL 2018 Greetings from STEM @ SVSU Code fall session is already full but be sure to watch for information on our We Code Camps for middle It was another STEMazing summer at SVSU! Over school students and parents coming soon! Families 350 K-12 students and nearly 175 teachers were can check out the Dow Great Lakes Bay STEM on campus for a wide variety of STEM camps, Festival at Delta College on October 12 and 13, with professional development, hands-on research a regional launch of the WE are Innovators program programs, and more! Students had a blast at the on October 13 as well. High school student teams SMEK Jr. and SMEK Sr. camps, leadership skills can also register for the A.H. Nickless Innovation were a key component of the Chief Science Officers Competition now through the end of October. Keep Summer Institute, and girls were rocking it out at an eye on our website www.svsu.edu/stem for up Camp Infinity again this summer! In addition, high to date information on all our programs. STEM@ school students had a chance to get their feet wet SVSU is constantly adapting to meet the needs of as interns with the Dow Science and Sustainability our regional students and educators – we hope you Education Center (SSEC) Summer Research will contact us with any needs that you have in the program, while others participated in the Coding and coming year. Networking Bootcamp and the Health and Human Services STEM camp. Best wishes for a successful 2018-19 school year! Many teachers were also on campus for professional development opportunities through the SVSU Regional Mathematics and Science Center, the Dow Corning Foundation-SVSU-STEM Community Partnership, and the Middle School Mathematics Adrianne Cole Specialist Program. Teachers were also leaders Director of STEM@SVSU in the Dow SSEC program, helping high school students feel at home in our research labs. Details with participant names and districts involved in all In this Issue: • MiSTEM Network Updates our summer programs follow in this newsletter. • A STEMazing Summer • Faculty Focus: Dr. Poonam Dharam Looking ahead to a busy fall semester… there are • Mark Your Calendars many opportunities to engage in STEM activities and programs throughout our region! Our Girls Who - 1 - STEM Newsletter • Fall 2018 Updates from the MiSTEM Network To make Michigan a world leader in STEM education, the Claire Bunker, Director MiSTEM Network was created MiSTEM Network as a collaboration of business, education, and community partners throughout the state. The work of the SVSU Mobile Research Lab is MiSTEM Network is to build on existing STEM networks and create a STEM ecosystem that on the Road Again! supports and implements the components outlined The SVSU Mobile Research Laboratory is on the road in four STEM pillars: create a STEM culture, again for the 2018-19 school year. The lab can visit empower STEM teachers, integrate business elementary, middle and high schools throughout the and education, and ensure high quality STEM Great Lakes Bay Region and focuses on water quality experiences. studies, including organism diversity, water quality Goals of the MiSTEM Network East Central Michigan parameters, aquatic ecosystems and more. There Prosperity Region include: is no cost for the visits – those interested should • Build collaborative partnerships that align GLBR complete a request on our website svsu.edu/stem activities to the state STEM vision. • Support the creation of a common understanding Apply Now for the Hour of Code! of what STEM means. • Lead and oversee the progress of STEM education activities. • Coordinate the development and implementation of common goals among the region’s stakeholders. • Identify and coordinate resources to support regional STEM stakeholders and activities. SVSU will serve as the fiscal agent for the MiSTEM Network Region on behalf of the East Central Michigan Prosperity Region that includes Fourth grade classes are once again invited to collaborative partners in Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, apply for the Hour of Code event, held at SVSU on Gratiot, Isabella, Midland and Saginaw Counties, Friday, November 30. This event is part of a national as well as STEM@SVSU and the Great Lakes Bay initiative to increase diversity in computer science Regional Alliance. and introduce coding to students at a young age. Up to four classes will be selected to participate in this For more information on MiSTEM, please contact: FREE program, which includes a coding workshop Claire Bunker with SVSU Computer Science faculty and students, MiSTEM Network Director lunch at the Marketplace at Doan, and a STEAM East Central MI Prosperity Region activity in the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture [email protected] Museum. Schools must provide transportation to Saginaw Valley State University campus for this event. Please visit our website Gilbertson Hall – GN 112 svsu.edu/stem to apply by October 12. - 2 - STEM Newsletter • Fall 2018 A STEMazing Summer! Chief Science Officers Elevate the Voices Camp Infinity of Students in STEM Participants of the CSO Summer Leadership Institute Chief Science Officers (CSOs) are middle and high school students who are the STEM voice for their schools and in their communities. Locally sponsored SVSU served as the host site again for Camp Infinity, by The Dow Chemical Company, sixty-two CSOs from technology camps for middle and high school aged twenty-three schools and thirteen districts attended girls, that was coordinated by Dr. Betsy Diegel. the CSO Summer Leadership Institute at SVSU Located inside Gilbertson Hall, fifty-one middle on August 14 and 15. During the school year, CSOs schoolers and eighteen high schoolers learned and advisors will interact with STEM professionals mobile app development, HTML web design, JAVA at local businesses, as well as implement a STEM and robotics. Each week-long camp ended with action plan at their schools. CSOs from the Great presentations where campers showcased their hard Lakes Bay Region, along with delegations from work to parents, friends, and community members. Arizona, Oregon, Georgia, Florida, New York, Mexico, SVSU instructors, Dow volunteers, and high school and Kuwait, will travel to Washington, D.C. in October Chief Science Officers shared their expertise and for the CSO International Summit. These student served as role models for the campers. The high leaders will work as an international cabinet to school camp was the first ever for Camp Infinity and determine innovative solutions for STEM issues SVSU was proud to pioneer this new endeavor with in their regions, as well as work with and impact the Michigan Council of Women in Technology and national leadership. the Dow Chemical Company. We look forward to offering Camp Infinity again in 2019! Participating School Districts: Bangor Township School District, Bay City Public Schools, Bridgeport-Spaulding Community Schools, Carrollton Public Schools, Frankenmuth School District, Freeland Community Schools, Great Lakes Bay Early College, Midland Public Schools, Saginaw City School District, Saginaw Township Community Schools, St. John’s Lutheran School, Swan Valley School District, and Valley Lutheran High School. (cont.) - 3 - STEM Newsletter • Fall 2018 Dow Science and Sustainability Education 20 High School Students: Center (SSEC) Summer Research Madison King, Au-Gres Sims School District; Austin Experience West, Zachary West, Bullock Creek School District; Steven Jacovitch, Emily Jaremba, Carrollton Public Schools; Jacob Nielsen, Frankenmuth School District; Liam Pan, Freeland Community Schools; Hannah Gill, Goodrich Area Schools; Anish Middha, McKenzie Moe, Quoc-Dai (Joey) Le, Midland Public Schools; Taylor Yaros, New Lothrop Area Public Schools; Hannah Moody, Nouvel Catholic Central High School; Tommy Papesh, Reese Public Schools; Participants of the Summer Research Experience Zarria Atkins, Ny’Kisha Banks, Sierra Cleland, The Dow SSEC Summer Research Experience Saginaw Public Schools; Chloe Kubacki, Zyk promotes collaboration between high school Hlavacek, Saginaw Township Community Schools; students, middle and high school teachers, SVSU Warren Jacobs, Valley Lutheran High School. students, and SVSU faculty mentors. The program is led by Dr. David Karpovich and Dr. Jennifer Chaytor. 5 SVSU Faculty: Dr. Martin Arford, Geography; Dr. Kyle Cissell, 5 Research Studies: Chemistry; Dr. Dennis Gray, Biology; Dr. Rhett “Using UAV (drone)-Acquired Imagery to Map Mohler, Geography; Dr. Adam Warhausen, Chemistry. Phragmites australis”, “Measuring Water Quality and Phosphorus Migration in the Saginaw, Tittabawassee, 10 SVSU Undergraduate Students: Cass, and Shiawassee Rivers”, “Soil Conservation Shammah Honour Bosah, Bijaya Dhungana, Practices”, “Investigating Nutrient Utilization Nathanael Gentle, Brianna Kosecki, Rachel Efficiency in Native and Invasive Phragmites”, and Laskowski, Hayley Lillo, Garrett Richardson, Justin “Synthesis of New Analogues of Rhodium Catalysts/ Royer, Shrijesh Siwakoti, Aiden Van Loo. Removing Metals from Water Utilizing Biochar”. 10 Middle and High School Teachers: Danielle Niergarth, Bay City Public Schools; Craig Coopersmith, Carrollton Public Schools; Robert Peterson, Freeland Community Schools; Brian Edelbrock, Katherine Spaulding, Midland Public Schools; David Allan, Saginaw Public Schools; Tricia Benkert, Katie Bryant, Jesse Place, Saginaw Township Community Schools; Ryan Stokoszynski, Standish-Sterling Community Schools. - 4 - STEM Newsletter • Winter 2018 Dow Corning Foundation-SVSU- Great Lakes Bay Region